Secret Writing

If you have more than one kid in the car, have one child close their eyes and put out their hand. The other child uses their finger to trace a letter on the palm of the out-turned hand. Try to guess the letter, then trade places. If the kids are good at guessing, they can try spelling out whole words.

The License Plate Game

This classic game is a staple of all road trips, and it has a few variations. The easiest version is to ask kids to look for letters of the alphabet, one letter at a time. They can get the letters from road signs, billboards, and, of course, license plates. When someone finds “A,” everyone moves on to “B” and so forth. License plates come in handy for tricky letters like Q, X, and Z!

How to Play Artist, Model, Clay

This game requires three players and some open space. One player is designated as the Artist, one as the Model, and one as the Clay. The artist should close their eyes (or blindfold themselves with a bandana). The Model then strikes a pose, something that puts their body in an unusual shape.

Telephone

This old-fashioned game works best when it’s started off with a sentence that’s either long or complicated—or both. The kids sit in a circle, and one person starts by whispering the sentence in their neighbor’s ear. That person whispers it on to their neighbor, who passes it along until everyone has had a chance to hear and repeat the sentence.

In the end, the last child can repeat the sentence out loud as they heard it, to see if it transformed along the way. It almost always does!

How to Play the Game - Story Circles

There are as many ways to build group stories as there are kids on the planet. When you’ve tried all of these, see if your group can make up a new version that they’ll want to play again and again. To begin a chain story, one person starts with a conditional sentence (something that starts with the word “if”), such as “If my bike gets a flat, I’ll have to walk.” The second person picks up the second half of the sentence and adds something of their own, like “If I have to walk, I’ll take my dog.” Then the third, “If I take my dog, we can get ice cream.” Keep going until you get bored, or until everyone has had at least two chances to add to the story, then start again with something new.

How to Play the Ongoing Riddle Game

Ongoing riddles are a great way to entertain a group, whether you’re on a hike, in the car, or just milling around camp. Start one of these puzzles at the beginning of your trip—they’re tough and it might take the whole time to solve it! These are best for kids aged ten and up.

A great way to introduce your kids to a new campground or camping area.

Take a family trip through nature when you go on this self-designed scavenger hunt. First, make up a list of things you want to look for. Then, head out on a nature hike and have each person check off the items they see. If you'd rather (if you're hiking with smaller kids), search as a team and point out what you see so everyone can take a look.

Fun with Maps

If you get tired of being asked “how much farther is it?,” try giving your child their own map. You can photocopy part of your road map or atlas, then show your child how to use signs and markers to find your location. If your child is old enough, you can ask them challenging questions like “what’s that mountain range over there?” or “how many miles is it to Round Lake?”

How to Play the Hug-a-tree Game

This game requires two players and one blindfold or bandana. The players must be old enough to lead one another blindfolded, and you might want to start with some guiding tips—to move slowly, hold the blindfolded person securely by the arm, and use words to guide them over roots and other obstacles.

How to Play the Detective Guessing Game

This is a game for older kids.

Everyone sits in a circle, and closes their eyes. One pre-designated person, maybe the grown up, tiptoes around the circle and pats on child on the head. This is the “murderer.” The adult touches two other kids on the arms. These are the “detectives.”

Card Games

Depending on the size of your group, you might find that card games are the perfect way to while away the hours. From smaller group games like gin, gin rummy, king’s corners, war, and old maid to big group games like spoons, a deck of cards can be the answer to your boredom problem. Challenge the teenagers in your group to learn something tricky like pinochle, bridge, or canasta, or introduce a younger child to the rules of solitaire. Spoons—a card-game version of musical chairs—is especially good for a group with a little excess energy.